


What Her Heart Wants

by echoesfadeaway



Category: Nancy Drew (Video Games)
Genre: F/M, Getting Together, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-21
Updated: 2019-07-21
Packaged: 2020-07-10 00:09:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19896658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/echoesfadeaway/pseuds/echoesfadeaway
Summary: Deirdre has wanted this for so long, but now she's second guessing everything.





	What Her Heart Wants

She can hear him calling her name, but she ignores it and tugs at the edges of her sleeves in a futile effort to completely disappear in her coat. There’s a sharp winter wind that slaps her cheeks, but Deirdre had to get out of the house. The text messages were taunting her, and the concerned looks from her parents were equally bothersome. If they knew what’s going on, they weren’t telling her. Instead, it’s the silence that is the interrogator in the Shannon household. So she left to escape, only to find herself smack in the middle of the problem she was trying to avoid.

His hand is warm around her arm, which he gently pulls to draw her attention to him. Deirdre stops and smiles up at him the best she can. He still makes her stomach flip and her words jumble in her brain. It’s a miracle she can stand.

“Hey,” Ned breathes, grin lighting up his expression. His cheeks and nose are red from the cold and it makes him even more endearing.

“Hey,” Deirdre breathes back.

“I’ve been trying to get a hold of you.” He rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. “Did you not get my messages? Or, maybe you did and that was your answer?” His laugh is so pained it makes her heart wrench. She isn’t trying to hurt him–that’s exactly what she’s trying to avoid–and it’s only making things worse.

“No, I would never. Not to you. I was still thinking,” she says quietly, crossing her arms. A small cloud leaves her mouth as she exhales. “I…I don’t think we should date, Ned.”

“Oh.” Ned’s eyebrows pull together, jaw drops slightly, and he blinks rapidly, trying to process or to respond. Either way, it takes him another couple moments to say, “Why?”

Deirdre gives a sharp bark of laughter without even meaning to. His question is so innocent, so confused. “Why?” she repeats. “Um, well, I don’t think you’re over Nancy. That’s one reason. Two: I don’t think you really like me. And why would you? I’m a real step down.”

“Don’t say that!”

“And continuing on that thought,” she continues, ignoring him, “Three: I’m not the person for you.”

Ned takes a step forward and the young woman’s quick to retreat. “Deirdre…”

“I gave you my answer. Just accept it and move on,” Deirdre says. She turns on her heel and begins back down her original path. His hand curls around the crook of her elbow and she sighs exasperatedly. “Ned!”

“I’m not trying to change your mind,” he says. Ned turns her to face him once more. “I just need you to know a few things.” He waits until she nods to continue. “One: yes, I dated Nancy for quite some time and realistically, I will never lose memories of her. But I’m not going to let that stop me from finding happiness somewhere else. Two: I do really like you. I don’t care that you’re not Nancy. I don’t want you to be. You’re here, not in Spain or wherever she is right now.”

Deirdre tries to stop the smirk that begins to tug at her mouth, but fails miserably. Ned notices and offers his own small smile.

“It’s true,” he says with a chuckle. “I appreciate being able to see you on a regular basis.”

“You’ll be at Emerson after winter break,” Deirdre says, rolling her eyes. “Then all that will go out the window.”

Ned shrugs. “Okay, but, at least I’d know you’d definitely be here waiting for me when I get back.”

Deirdre bows her head so he can’t see her cheeks are beginning to redden, and not from the wind. Ned takes her hands in his and Deirdre peeks up at him from underneath her fallen side bangs.

“I respect your decision,” he says firmly. “But please know that I think you’re an amazing woman and you shouldn’t be so hard on yourself. You’re not Nancy Drew, but you are Deirdre Shannon. And who says Deirdre Shannon isn’t just as amazing?”

Deirdre presses her lips together tightly and keeps her eyes on the sidewalk as he kisses the top of her head and begins to walk away. Her hands drop back to her sides and her pale fingers curl into fists as she fights inwardly over giving in to what her heart wants, or listening to the negative voice inside her head that tells her she doesn’t deserve it.

“Ned!”

She looks up and he’s already down the sidewalk, out of earshot. Deirdre steels herself and breaks into a run. “Wait! Ned!” she yells again once she gets closer and the young man turns around. Deirdre stumbles to a stop in front of him and asks quietly, “How about coffee?”

Ned can’t help but to smile and nod. “Coffee sounds good.”

“Now?” Deirdre giggles nervously as she realizes how it sounds. “I–I’m not like dying to go on a date or anything. I’m just really cold and I was going there anyway.”

Ned laughs. “Yeah, let’s go get some now.” He offers a hand to her and she takes it, noting again how warm it is.

Their fingers intertwine at some point in their walk to the small coffee shop in downtown River Heights, and it’s all Deirdre can do not to burst into giddy laughter. She didn’t ever think this day would come, but it has. For once, the negative voice inside her head is silent. For once, she’s glad to be Deirdre Shannon.


End file.
